Car-coupling.



No. 649,99l. Patentedl'ay 22, I900. L. LECUMPTE.

CAB QOUPLI NG.

(Appli ation filed June 17, 1899.: (No Muriel.) 5 Sheets-Sheet T mwwmv W'awwses: I v i 4 AQWM 25 No. 649,991. Patented May 22. I900;-

L. LECOMPTE.

CAR COUPLING.

(Appl'vation'filed June 17, 1899.: (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet '3.

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No. 649,99l. Patented May 22, I900.

L. LECOMPTE.

CAR COUPLING.

(Lppli'ation fll ed June 17, 1899.\

(No Model.) s Sheets-Sheet 4.

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No. 649,99l. Patented May 22, won. L. LECUMPTE.

GAB COUPLING.

(Applimtion filed June 17, 1899.1 (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

Tn: "cams PETER: co. PncTouTMo WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS LECOMPTE, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN W. THOMAS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649, 9 ated May 1900- Application'filed June 17,1899. Serial No. 720,899. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS LEOOMPTE, a citizen of the United States, residingatOhicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates, primarily, to com.- bined car and air-brake couplings; but certain features thereof are applicable to carcouplings generally, as will hereinafter appear. Its objects in the main are to simplify and strengthen the construction of the coupling as a means of tract-ion, to so construct and arrange the valve of the air-coupling that it shall be accessible from the exterior and shall not be opened except by the engagement of a twin coupler, to dispense with the pivoted coupling-hooks generally used and substitute therefor coupling bolts or blocks arranged to interlock with the interlocking of the couplers, so that power applied to draw the one will also draw the other, to'construct said interlocking coupling-blocks and their sockets in such manner that they may be lifted in unison and independently swung to rest upon the top of the draw-hooks while the train is at a standstill, so that the cars may be separated by the switch-engine without further attention, and to provide improved means for normally alining the draw-bar and draw-head to insure perfect engagement of the couplings and to prevent rattling in action.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of a connected coupling embodying my-invention; Fig. 2, a like view of said coupling with the two heads disconnected and apart from each other; Fig. 3, a side elevation of said coupling connected; Fig. 4, a like elevation of said coupling disconnected; Fig. 5, a bottom plan view of said coupling connected; Fig. 6, a like view of said coupling disconnected; Fig. 7, a front elevation of one of the draw-heads, with its immediate accessories; Fig. 8, a plan View of said draw-head, partly broken away to disclose the air-brake valve. Fig. 9 represents a J anney coupler engaged with one of my couplers; and Fig. 10 is a perspective View of part of a car with my improved coupling applied thereto, showing means for disconnecting the coupling from the side of the car.

A represents a draw-bar having at its forward end a broad semicircular base-lip a. and

a narrower overhanging lip a, concentric in outline with the lower lip, and shoulders a extending from said lower lip past the upper lip. Between these lips the draw-bar is chambered concavely, as at a upon an arc concentric with the arcs of the lips to receive a semicircular tongue 6, projecting rearwardly from the draw-head B, which tongue is of less vertical thickness than the space between the lips, so as to allow the draw-head to rise or lift when coupled'to a draw-head not on the same normal level. Beneath the tongue the draw-head is concavely recessed, as at b, to receive the lower lip of the draw-bar, and above the tongue it has a second concave recess b for the upper lip, shoulders b extending up from the lower recess to coact with the shoulders on the draw-bar to limit the lateral play or flexion of the head. A bolt or pivot-pin C, passing through the tongue and lips on an axis concentric with the arcs of the several recesses and of said chamber, tongue, and lips, serves to unite the drawhead to the draw-bar.

In order to normally aline the draw-head with the draw-bar, I interpose spring pressing devices between their respective shoulders on each side of the connecting-pin. Gouvenient means to this end are afiorded by forming recessed seats 01 in the shoulders of one of the members, preferably the drawhead, to receive coiled springs 01, upon which are seated followers D, extending into contact with the shoulders of the opposite member (in this instance the draw-bar) and pressed constantly thereagainst by the springs, thus not only serving the purposes of alinement, but also steadying the rise and fall of the draw-head and easing off any tendency to jolt or rattle.

Projecting from the front end of the draw head to one side of the center is a rigid drawhook E, consisting of a cylindroidal body with conoidal end, notched at e in the side toward the axis of the draw-head to form the hook. Equidistant on the other side of said axis is formed a cylindroidal socket F, with conoidal 'lel sides and extending downto'about half the depth of the above-mentioned sockets for the reception of the draw-hooks, fromwhich latter sockets these will be hereinafter.dis-' tinguished as coupling-sockets, since the=ir-+will register with the duct K, establishing oflice is to receive the blocks G or-rectangular bolts which engage the hooks and coin-L plete the coupling of two draw heads to'-"-- gether. The end wall of the coupling-socket on thehookside of the draw-head is vertical, or essentially so, to resist lateral thrust'ofthecoupling-block when engaged with the hook of a-coactin gdraw-head; but above the socketwhich receives the hook of said latter draw headthis coupling-socket is undercut, asatv g, to-permit the block to be swung over thetop of the hook after being lifted and rested thereon in'uncoupling the cars of a stationary train. -The'coupling-block is of such dimen sions that one corner projects considerablyi'ntothe socket F to engage with the coupling-, hookreceived therein, and the front face of? thiscorner is beveled, as at g, that it may be struck and raised by the conoidal end of the hook when the latter enters the socket, the block immediately thereafter dropping be hind the shoulder of the hook and making closeengagement therewith. The head or cap g of j eachcoupling-block projects forward practically to the front line of the draw-head and has to'oneside of the center a rigidforwardly-projecting pin 9 and to the other side an elongatedrecess g to engage with and "re-- ceive-alike recess and pin on the-couplingblockof the companion draw-head whenthe ling-block is lifted the other is also lifted thereby; but when raised the elongated recesses permit such play that they can beswun'g, respectively, to oneside and to the other to' be rested upon their corresponding draw-hooks. Each coupling-block hasaconvenientjly-located-hook or eye g for connectionwithm can sfor lifting it-as, for instance,

withthe beILcrank lever H, extending to the sidewofthe car, sothat uncoupling may be.

etfectedwithout entering'between the cars, I Eachdraw-head is transversely bored to form an air-passage J, closed at the outer end by-a-threaded nippleJ for, the reception of the air-brake hose J as shown. With this passageconnects a centrally-located air-duct K, opening to the front of the draw-head and havinga' projecting bushing or gasket. K 'to make air-tight contact with the correspondinggasket on the companion draw-head. In

the-air-v-passage J plays a valve-block L, having an'angular duct Z open to thepassage J v at one-end and at'the other-capable of male ing registry with the aforesaid duct K, but

normally held-oitt'of registry therewith by the forcelo'famoiledsprifi-g L seated against the nipple. The valve-stem Z plays through a ,bearingformed in the body of the draw-head in line with the nipple and receives at its "outer-end, on theopposite sid-e therefrom, a icameblockLi, plajdn'g'in an angular recess 12 in the sideof said head and held thereby, so as always to present its beveled face I to the front. The depth of the recess is such that when the cam-block is driven home the duct connection between passage J and said latter duct? Secured to the draw-head on the nipissests a valve-cain M, which when two draw-heads come together rides upon the camjblock of the opposite-head and-closes "it in, thus opening the-valve and establishing movable, so-as-to' throw'it ou-tof position for 1 en gagingthecam-block, in order to leave the 1 reason it should not bedesirable to establish air connection between one car and the'next. Such capacity of movement mayrea-di'ly be secured by forming the valve-cam as an independent cu-rved plate adapted tofit-over. the nipple-and fixing it inposition by means of anut m, which may serve at the same time as :a jam-nut for the nipple.

:Having thus described my improvement, I desireit to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific detailsof construction 1 or outline of parts as herein described, considering that these may be variedto-avery marked degree without departing from the spirit of the invention; but

What -I-claim, and desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The combination oft-he'drawwbarhaving an overhanginglip, a subtending lip of greater her, the draw-head havinga rearwardly-extending convex tongue of lesser thickness 1 than the height-of said chamber andrecessed above and beneath said tongue toreceiive the lips of the draw-bar, and'the pivot-bolt uniting thedraw-head and draw-bar on the axis from which said lips, recesses, tongueandchamber are described. t Y

N 2.-T-he combination of the-draw-barhav-ing ai -overhanging lip, a subtendingl-ipjof greater diameter, an 7 intermediate concave chamber and shouldersoneach side of the chamber, the draw-head havingarearwardlyextending tongue of lesser thickness thanthe height of i said chamber, shoulders-on each side ofrsaid tongue and recesses above and beneaththe pivot-bolt uniting the draw-head. and drawbar on the axis from whichsaid lips,-recesses, tongue and chamber are described, andelastically-yielding cushions between the shoulders of the draw-barand draw-head.

3; The combination with-draw-heads-and draw-hooks carried thereby,'of interlocking coupling bolts or blocks engaging said hooks through connection. Thistvalv 'er'cam may be diameter and arr-intermediate coneavecha-m-- two-are'coupled. By this means if one-coup i'tongue to receive the lips of the'draw-bar, the

I valve controlled by thelatter closed if for'any ing heads carrying interlocking devices for mutual engagement.

6. The combination with the draw-heads and their colloidal-ended draw-hooks and hook-sockets, and undercut coupling-sockets, of the coupling-blocks provided with projecting heads each having on one side an engaging pin and on the other an elongated socket for reception of a like pin from the companion block.

7. The combination with the draw-head and transverse air-passage therein, and the forw'ardly-extending duct, of the spring-seated valve playing in said passage and having a stem extending to the farther side of the drawhead, the cam-block on said stem, and a cam on the opposite draw-head for automatically moving said cam-block and opening the valve as the draw-heads come together.

8. The combination with the draw-head and air-passage therein, of the air-valve, automatically-acting devices for opening said valve, and means whereby said automatic devices may be thrown out of action.

9. The combination with the draw-head and air-passage therein, of the spring-seated valve having a stem extending through the side of the draw-head, the cam-block on said stem, a cam on the opposite draw-head for automat ically moving said cam-block and opening the valve, and means whereby said cam may be displaced so as not to engage the cam-block.

10. The combination with the draw-head and its air-passage, of the valve and its camblock, the nipple, the valve-cam sitting over said nipple, and the nut confining the valvecam.

11. The combination with the draw-head and its air-passage, of the spring-seated valvebloek with its angular duct, the nipple confining. the spring, the valve-stein, the camblock thereon, the angular recess in which said block plays, and the valve-cam.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS LECOMPTE.

Witnesses:

G. S. NOBLE, F. BENJAMIN. 

